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3 Fundraising Lessons We Learned in November

Here are three lessons we learned last month: 

 

Mentorship conversations with new staff should start on day one 

We’re in the midst of a moment of dramatic change across American life as people in all industries are quitting their jobs at record numbers. That poses significant challenges to fundraising teams, many of which were struggling to maintain staff even before the pandemic. One way to retain staff is by starting mentorship or coaching conversations on the day that new members are added to their team. By discussing their future growth plans (which can be as simple as asking them what type of role they would like to have in the next three to five years), managers can prepare them for that goal regardless of whether they can achieve that objective at our institution or if they’ll have to go elsewhere to do so. 

Click here to learn more strategies for retaining staff amid the Great Resignation.  

 

Every institution needs a clear, galvanizing vision that can convince donors why they should give to their cause given all the other needs that are out there 

The need to develop compelling issue-based messaging and proposals is particularly important for institutions such as R2 universities that may not have a long history of big picture projects or principal gifts. That was evident in a recent survey of R2 universities conducted by GG+A that found 57% of respondents cited “attracting principal gifts” as one of their primary challenges. Those gifts are critically important to their overall success given that 60% to 65% of contemporary campaign totals stem from gifts of $1 million or more. 

Click here to learn more about the keys to attracting principal gifts at institutions that lack a long history of principal gifts.  

 

It’s never been more important to ensure your fundraising team is diverse 

Managing a development program is fraught with challenges. Add on the threads of a pandemic, racial reckoning, and economic disparities, and the challenges only seem to be getting more complex. A lack of diversity often leads to challenges such as messages that fail to resonate with donors of color or systems that overlook promising diverse prospects. 

Click here to learn more the potential benefits of diversifying your fundraising team. 

If you are interested in learning more and applying these strategies at your institution, please contact us.

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